I'm in agreement, but I could get over it if the rights are traded for defensive help.

Historically, any decently skilled plug has put up 60 points opposite Backstrom/Ovie. Johansson has no plus attributes other than speed and I don't see him developing into anything more than, well, a decently skilled plug that puts up 60 points opposite Backstrom/Ovie.

I personally don't think they will trade his rights (maybe they let him play a year or two in the SEL), but I think he could return something decent and useful.

That's not bad at all, but it leaves them with a $4.5M player on the 3rd line and a $3M guy on the 4th.

If you're really worried about price structure, you can flip Ward/Fehr and Johansson/Laich. There's a lot of flexibility in the roster now, which is great news once injuries and slumps hit. We'll see which lines click and which don't.

I'm in agreement, but I could get over it if the rights are traded for defensive help.

Cap space looks like a big issue either way. They'd have to get someone to take Erskine or Ward in a package most likely if they really wanted to add that top 4D. As-is maybe they can eventually get Johansson done in that Hagelin range but would ~$2.5M do it for Grabovski? Maybe the bounceback potential for future earnings sways him.

If they were to sign Grabovski and get Johansson done I'd go with 19/84/21/85 down the middle. Laich could be a trade candidate down the line but I'd fully utilize their center options. It would relegate Perreault to more of a fourth-line energy guy again but that's still probably truer to his style and if his line is going it could always get bumped up.

If you're really worried about price structure, you can flip Ward/Fehr and Johansson/Laich. There's a lot of flexibility in the roster now, which is great news once injuries and slumps hit. We'll see which lines click and which don't.

If they can afford all of them, sure, keep them all and let the chips fall where they may. However, if the cap hit of that group of forwards prevents them from acquiring an adequate 2LD now (or even keeps them from banking cap space for a move at the deadline), then it needs to be re-evaluated.

Nobody in the Caps management or coaching staff has ever shown an inclination of playing Perreault on the wing. Oates had Volpatti and Hendricks as Ovie's left wing last year, for pete's sake. If Perreault was going to be tried at LW, it would have been then, wouldn't it?